3-5-3 Defensive Line Techniques and Drills Thomas Cousins

3-5-3
DEFENSIVE LINE
TECHNIQUES AND DRILLS
THOMAS COUSINS
aphsfootball@yahoo.com 1
IS THERE A DIFFERENCE?
• IS THERE A DIFFERENCE IN
COACHING LINEMEN IN THE 3-5-3 VS.
THE 4-3?
• WE FEEL THE ANSWER IS YES AND
NO.
NO
• TACKLING, RUNNING AND BEING TOUGH

SHOULD BE A PART OF ANY GOOD DEFENSE.
• WE STILL READ BLOCKS, WE JUST DO IT ON
THE RUN.
YES
• SINCE OUR LINEMEN NEVER TAKE ON AN
OFFENSIVE LINEMAN HEAD UP WE NEED TO
TEACH WHAT WE CALL “READING ON THE
RUN.”
• WE TEACH ATTACKING ½ A MAN WITH EITHER
A RIP OR BY ATTACKING THE INSIDE CHEST
PLATE
• THE BIGGEST THING WE WORK ON IS
FIGHTING PRESSURE WITH PRESSURE AND
NOT GETTING WASHED UP FIELD.
ESSENTIALS OF DEFENSIVE LINE PLAY
• 1. GET OFF- YOU MUST EXPLODE OFF

THE BALL AND CROSS THE FACE OF THE
MAN YOU ARE LINED UP FROM.
• 2. PURSUIT- WE STRESS RUN, RUN, RUN.
• 3. TACKLING- WORK SOME ASPECT OF

TACKLING EVERYDAY.
What do we want to
accomplish?
1. We want to make our defensive lineman more
productive in the areas of tackling, pressure
and pursuit.
2. We want to run drills that are specific to what
we do.
3. If a drill is not football specific- don’t do it.
4. We want to put our defensive linemen in real-
life, game type situations.
DEFENSIVE LINE FUNDAMENTALS IN
THE
3-5-3
• 1. ALIGNMENT
• 2. STANCE
• 3. SLANT/ STEPS
• 4. ENGAGEMENT/ BLOW DELIVERY
• 5. READ/ PRESSURE
• 6. PURSUIT
• 7. TACKLE
ALIGNMENT
• WE WILL WORK ALIGNMENT EVERYDAY.
• WE WILL LINE UP THREE DIFFERENT
WAYS WITH OUR TACKLES.
• IN BASE THEY WILL HEAD UP
• IN JET THEY WILL BE IN A WIDE 5 AND A
WIDE 9
• IN GOALLINE THEY WILL BE IN 4
TECHNIQUES.
ALIGNMENT BASE
T N T
TACKLES AND NOSE WILL BE HEAD UP AND AS
TIGHT TO THE BALL AS POSSIBLE
ALIGNMENT JET
T N T
TACKLES WILL BE JETTED 1 YARD OUTSIDE OF
THE TACKLE AND TIGHT END. NOSE WILL BE
HEAD UP AND AS TIGHT TO THE BALL AS
POSSIBLE
ALIGNMENT GOALLINE
T N T
TACKLES WILL BE IN 4 TECHNIQUES. NOSE
WILL BE HEAD UP AND AS TIGHT TO THE BALL
AS POSSIBLE
STANCE
• OUR STANCE IS A THREE POINT STANCE WITH FEET AS
CLOSE TO PARALLEL AS POSSIBLE.
• WEIGHT ON THE BALLS OF THE FEET, KNEES IN AND HEELS
OFF THE GROUND
• HEAD- TURN YOUR HEAD AND LOOK DOWN THE LOS AT THE
BALL.
• ARMS- FRONT ARM SHOULD BE WELL IN FRONT OF THE
HEAD. FREE ARM IS COCKED BY THE FACEMASK READY TO
STRIKE.
• BACK- BUTT MUST BE HIGHER THAN HEAD.
• WEIGHT- 60% OF WEIGHT IS ON FINGERTIPS. YOU ARE A
“COILED SPRING” READY TO EXPLODE.
• FEET SHOULD BE NO WIDER THAN SHOULDER WIDTH.
• DL NEEDS TO BE ABLE TO STEP WITH EITHER FOOT- LEFT OR
RIGHT.
• HEAD IS TURNED LOOKING AT THE FOOTBALL
SLANT/STEPS
• GET OFF
• INITIAL MOVEMENT MUST BE SIDEWAYS AND UP AT A
45% ANGLE.
• LIKE A SPRINTER COMING OUT OF THE BLOCKS…
CREATE FORCE.
• BACK FLAT
• NUMBERS OF YOUR JERSEY OVER YOUR KNEE.
• BULL YOUR NECK.
• AIM FOR THE HIP OF THE MAN YOU ARE SLANTING
ACROSS.
• FOLLOW QUICKLY WITH THE 2ND AND 3RD STEPS
• STAY LOW AND MAINTAIN LIFT LEVERAGE.
SLANT/STEPS DRILLS
T N T
VERY SIMPLE DRILL DONE WITH FLAT DUMMIES ON THE
GROUND
COACH GIVES A LINE CALL (IN, OUT, SLANT STRONG, SLANT
WEAK, PINCH) AND A STRENGTH CALL.
COACH SNAPS THE BALL AND LOOKS FOR FOOTWORK,
EXPLOSION, FLAT BACK, AND ARM RIP IN GET OFF BY THE
DEFENSIVE LINEMEN.
ENGAGEMENT/ BLOW
DELIVERY
• DEFENSIVE LINEMEN MUST SHOOT OFF HAND ACROSS THE
MAN HE IS SLANTING FROM.
• WE ARE AIMING FOR THE HIP OF THE MAN WE ARE SLANTING
TO.
• WHEN WE MAKE CONTACT WITH THE OFFENSIVE LINEMAN
WE EITHER FINISH OUR RIP OR IF WE GET STONED- BRING
BOTH HANDS UP INTO ½ OF HIS CHESTPLATE, LIFT, CONTROL
OUR GAP AND FIND THE BALL.
• WE NEVER WANT TO GET MORE THAN 1 YARD UP THE FIELD.
• IF WE EVER COME OFF UNBLOCKED WE TURN AND LOOK
INSIDE.
BLOW DELIVERY
T N T
THE MAIN DRILL WE USE TO TEACH BLOW DELIVERY IS A 3 POINT
STEP AND RIP DRILL.
DL ARE IN STANCE ACROSS FROM A PLAYER HOLDING A BAG ON
BALL MOVEMENT THEY EXPLODE AND RIP THROUGH THE MAN
ACROSS FROM THEM.
COACH LOOKS FOR FOOTWORK, EXPLOSION, PROPER ARM RIP
AND GETTING TO 1 YARD DEEP.
Pressure drills
• Get some.
• Part of our hoop drills we do everyday.
• The defensive lineman will run two hoops in a figure
eight.
• Around the first hoop- he will rip with his inside arm,
against other players punching at him.
• Around the second hoop he will rip with his other
arm against other players punching him.
• He will finish the drill by strip tackling a dummy.
READ/ PRESSURE
• WE WILL READ ON THE RUN- IF AN OFFENSIVE

LINEMAN PRESSURES US WE WILL PRESSURE
BACK BY EITHER CROSSING HIS FACE OR
GOING BACKDOOR.
• WE CANNOT GET WASHED UP THE FIELD, BY
FIGHTING PRESSURE WITH PRESSURE AND
NOT GETTING MORE THAN 1 YARD UP THE
FILED WE CAN ACCOMPLISH THIS.
• IF WE SLANT AND OUR MAN TRIES TO CUT US
OFF, WE WILL FLATTEN DOWN THE LOS AND
PURSUE TO THE BALL.
READ DRILLS- BACKDOOR
• Backdoor
• Purpose- to recreate when a defensive lineman
is following a trapping offensive lineman or has
ripped into a gap and feels pressure from a
down block..
• The offensive lineman will fit on the DL’s hip
who will then in turn go backdoor to make a
tackle.
Backdoor
R
Ol will fit up on the hip of a defensive
lineman. The DL will grab the hip of
the offensive lineman and go
backdoor- pursuing flat down the line
of scrimmage.
PURSUIT
• WE MUST FIND THE BALL AND TAKE GOOD ANGLES TO

INTERCEPT THE BALL CARRIER.
• WE EXPECT 11 HATS TO THE BALL ON EVERY PLAY. YOU
WILL NOT GET GOOD PURSUIT UNLESS YOU STRESS
RUNNING TO THE BALL ON EVERY PLAY IN PRACTICE.
• WE RUN EXTRA AFTER PRACTICE FOR “LOAFS”- NOT
GETTING 11 PEOPLE TO THE BALL ON EVERY PLAY.
• WE HAVE NEVER DONE PURSUIT DRILLS ALONE, WE
INCORPORATE THEM INTO INSIDE, SKELLY, TEAM ETC.
PURSUIT
T N T
THE MAIN DRILL WE USE TO TEACH PURSUIT IS THE FLOW DRILL
ON BALL MOVEMENT DL WILL PERFORM A RIP TO ASSIGNED GAP
WHEN THEY GET TO 1 YARD THE COACH WILL POINT TO THE
RIGHT, LEFT OF UP FIELD. THE DL WILL PLANT AND HUSTLE THAT
WAY.
Pursuit drills
• Rabbit
• A hoop drill we do everyday
• Two players will line up on a hoop. One player
will get a three yard head start.
• The two players will run a figure eight, if player
two catches player one, the drill is over.
Rabbit
TACKLING
• WE PRIDE OURSELVES IN NOT MISSING

TACKLES.
• WE WORK SOME ASPECT OF TACKLING
EVERYDAY IN PRACTICE.
• WE NEVER GO HALF SPEED DURING
DEFENSIVE PRACTICE. WE ARE ALWAYS
LIVE, NO DUMMIES, NO PADS, NO SHORTS
MONDAY- THURSDAY.
Tackling
• We feel that there are 6 basic elements to every
tackle. We work these 6 elements into every
tackling drill we do.
2. Feet- never gather, always run through the target.
3. Eyes- always on numbers
4. Head placement- always up and across the ball.
5. Chest- lead with your chest not your head.
6. High cloth- throw arms up and around
7. Hip roll- act like you have a quarter in your cheeks
and you don’t want it to fall out.
Tackling drills
• Slip Drill
• Purpose: to recreate a defensive lineman
slipping off an offensive lineman and making
a tackle.
• OL and DL will fit up as if the were engaged
with a block. The running back will then run
tight to either hip of the offensive lineman.
The defensive lineman will have to create
separation and find the ball carrier.
ANGLE TACKLING
T T
THIS IS THE MAIN TACKLING DRILL OUR DL DOES
THE DL LINES UP ACROSS FROM ANOTHER LINEMAN AND ON
COMMAND RIPS BY THE OL -THE RUNNING BACK WILL RUN EITHER
RIGHT OR LEFT NEXT TO THE OL. IF THE RUNNING BACK COMES TO
THE SAME SIDE THE DL SLANTED TO THE DL PERFORMS A PROPER
ANGLE TACKLE. IF THE RUNNINGBACK RUNS TO THE OPPOSITE SIDE
THE DL SLANTED TO. HE MUST PLANT, FLOW BACK TO THE RUNNING
BACK AND MAKE THE TACKLE.
TACKLING DRILLS
• Speed to burn
• We will have two defensive ends in a jet- speed
rush coming off each corner.
• The defensive ends will have to speed rip by an
offensive lineman and strip tackle a dummy.
• Whoever gets there the fastest is the winner.
Closing
• We feel that by putting our defensive

linemen in real-life, game type situations
we will increase production as a unit.
• We have seen a steady increase in the
productivity of our defensive linemen in
the three years since we have introduced
this concept.

3-5-3 Defensive Line Techniques and Drills Thomas Cousins

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3-5-3

• TACKLING, RUNNING AND BEING TOUGH

• 1. GET OFF- YOU MUST EXPLODE OFF

• 2. PURSUIT- WE STRESS RUN, RUN, RUN.

• 3. TACKLING- WORK SOME ASPECT OF

• WE WILL READ ON THE RUN- IF AN OFFENSIVE

• WE MUST FIND THE BALL AND TAKE GOOD ANGLES TO

• WE PRIDE OURSELVES IN NOT MISSING

• We feel that by putting our defensive

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